Spirited Away
by Demoneyes 14
Summary: (NSA xover) Sakura is tired of waiting for Sasuke, so she goes to look for him, only to be trapped in the realm of SPIRITED AWAY! Why does Sasuke know so much about this place, and will they ever get out? Chapter 7 up! WAFFINESS!
1. Default Chapter

Spirited Away/Naruto crossover. When Sasuke goes missing, Sakura goes out to find him… only to find herself in the realm of the spirits! She meets all of the characters (except for Chihiro and Haku, of course!). Will she find Sasuke? Or will she be trapped in the realm of the spirits forever?

**Chapter 1: Lost**

Sakura let out a sigh. It had been three weeks since Sasuke left on the mission he had been training for, for years. She knew it wasn't easy to find someone as powerful as his brother, Itachi, but if only he could come back sooner!

The young girl let out another sigh and rested her head in her hands. Sasuke could take care of himself… she knew that. But… what if he was injured? What if he was trapped somewhere? What if he already fought Itachi… and…

Sakura quickly shook these thoughts out of her head. Sasuke was fine! She knew it! Despite the fact that she had helped him once or twice, he was more than capable of surviving without her. This reassurance didn't really help, though. Her reassurance was starting to make her feel small and unwanted.

"Sasuke…" She whispered to nobody in particular. "I miss you so much… please come back alive."

A cold gust of wind rushed by her, making her feel even worse.

"That's it" She cried, standing up. "I'm going to look for Sasuke whether he likes it or not"

With that, she started on her journey. She ran through the trees, heading for the Konoha border. All she had to do was make it past the Hyuuga estate and she'd be out of there.

"Sakura"

The pink-haired girl nearly jumped out of her skin. Turning around, she found Hinata standing behind her, giving her a curious look.

"Sakura… why are you in such a rush? And way out here for that matter" Sakura let out a sigh. She had hoped that she could get out of Konoha without anybody noticing. Now that she thought about it, if she left without anybody noticing, people would become seriously worried.

"Hinata…" She murmured. "I'm going to find Sasuke." Hinata was about to argue, but Sakura cut her off. "No, Hinata. I'm really worried about him. We've never been on a mission that took more than a month, and when he leaves on a mission, he doesn't ever take this long"

"But, Sakura. What about the case with Orochimaru"

"That was different" Sakura snapped. She calmed down when she saw Hinata wince. "I'm sorry…" She said quietly. "It's just that wasn't a mission." Sakura gave her a saddened look. "Sasuke's strong… and we both know that. He should've been home a long time ago." Hinata nodded in agreement.

"I guess you're right…" Hinata muttered. Her face then lit up. "I hope you find him." Sakura smiled in thanks.

"I'll see you when I get back" Sakura said before running off.

"Bye! Good luck"

Silence filled the village of Konoha that night. The only movement was that of a lone, dark figure as it walked along the streets of the village. Uchiha Sasuke looked around at the dark buildings, straining his ears for the slightest sound. The smile that had been on his face since the journey home proved that he had good news. He was still covered in scratches and bruises from his latest battle.

The shinobi smirked. He had defeated his enemy along with killing him. Since he was done, he could come back home and see his friends.

_'Naruto…' _He thought, his hands balling into fists. _'Sakura…'_

Stopping in the middle of the street, he looked triumphantly at the horizon, which had just started to glow orange.

"I'm back."

_'What have I gotten myself into!'_

Sakura had traveled for miles and still no sign of Sasuke. She knew she was near the place where Itachi hid, but for some reason, couldn't sense his chakara. Did the two tie! Had they both perished in battle? Sakura swallowed her fears and continued on her journey.

"I swear… when I get home… I'll- ow" Sakura clutched her throbbing head as she looked up to see what she had run in to.

It was a building… and a strange building at that. It was unlike anything she had ever seen. The majestic red building stood tall, the clock above shining in the light and the tunnel, waiting for something for it to swallow into darkness. Sakura looked down the tunnel, unsure of what to do.

"Should I go in" She asked herself. Then an idea struck her. "What if Sasuke was in there? There was a pretty good chance. When chakara is low, it's hard to sense.

It was final. She was going in no matter what!

Hinata walked down the lonely pathway in the park. It hadn't even been half a day and she already missed Sakura. She was so worried! What if Sakura never found him? Would she ever come back? All of these thoughts that rushed through her head made Hinata not notice the boy in front of her until…

"O-oh! I'm so sorry" Hinata cried, bowing before she even caught a glimpse of who it was. When she looked up, she let out a cry of surprise.

"S-Sasuke…" Hinata stuttered. The raven-haired boy nodded, but stayed quiet. "But… you can't be here! Sakura"

"What about her" Sasuke asked quietly. Hinata winced.

"She… went out to look for you late last night." Hinata explained. "She was really worried and wanted to look for you in fear that you might be… well… dead." Hinata then gave him a hopeful look. "Did you meet up with her" Sasuke shook his head.

"So… she's gone" Hinata nodded sadly.

"I doubt she'll come back until she finds you…" She added.

"Nobody's gone to search for her" Sasuke prodded. Hinata shook her head once again.

"No… I'm the only person that knows." Sasuke's eyes thinned.

"I see…" he murmured, turning on his heel. "She traveled north, I take it" The young Hyuuga nodded once again. "Alright… don't tell anybody I returned." He said before running off. "I don't think I can come home just yet…"

"Sasuke wait" Hinata cried. But it was too late. Sasuke had left.

The raven-haired shinobi ran in the direction Sakura had gone. He had a fairly good idea where she would end up.

_'Let's just hope I get her before she finds **that** place…'_

Sakura gazed upon the grassy landscape. Everything was so… beautiful! Several stones with grinning faces stuck out of the ground. It was like a mystical world that nobody knew about. She let out a sigh of happiness, completely forgetting what she was searching for.

Forgetting her mission, Sakura continued her exploration of the beautiful world. It was the most amazing place she had ever been! It was as if all of your troubles just vanished. She let in a deep breath of air and soon continued her journey through the fields.

"What a strange place…" She murmured as she came upon a small creek. "It's strange that nobody has ever found this valley. I would certainly love to stay here."

Giggling, Sakura ran down the field and over a small, rocky creek. She didn't know why, but for some reason she felt at home. Her pace slowed as she reached a small town. It looked like… a market. She could even smell the food! But… then why wasn't anybody there? She glanced around nervously, eyeing all of the food. Sure she was hungry, but she didn't have any money on her, and she wasn't a rude pig.

"Oh, if Choji were here right now…" Sakura winced at the thought of the store-owners glaring down at the fat boy and ordering money from him.

Still deep in thought, Sakura turned left at the end of the empty street and walked absentmindedly up a set of stairs. She turned right once again at the sound of rushing water. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Is that… a bath house" She looked up at a tall, beautiful building, which seemed to only be connected to the rest of the town by bridge. There wasn't a single sign of movement from the building, yet the furnace high above her was billowing steam non-stop, forming wispy white clouds high above her.

Looking up at the sky, she realized that it was late afternoon. Sakura found this quite odd. She was almost entirely certain that it wasn't even noon when she first arrived. This thought continued to swirl around in her thoughts as she took her first few steps onto the bridge. She walked over to the side, staring dreamily at the western horizon. It was so peaceful… that is, until the soft sound of footsteps reached her ears. Sakura's head snapped to her right to see a very concerned Sasuke.

"Sasuke…" She said in not but a whisper. Her eyes were filled with shock and happiness as she stepped closer to him "Sasuke, I"

"You shouldn't be here." He said darkly, the shadows swirling around him as the sun seemed to set even faster. Sasuke noticed this, causing him to be more aggressive. "It's almost dark! Quickly, you must get out of here" Sakura stayed planted to the spot.

"But… Sasuke" The raven-haired boy silenced her once again by placing a hand over her mouth.

"Listen to me, Sakura." He said, placing his hands on her shoulders. "You _must_ get out of here NOW! If you don't leave, you'll be trapped here" Sakura gave him a puzzled look as the sound of his panicked voice made it's way into her head "GO! I'll catch up to you" Sasuke pushed Sakura, causing her to lose her balance ever so slightly. She quickly regained it and did as she was told. She turned left and ran down the steps, out of Sasuke's sight.

"Yubaba…" He growled. "Damn you…"

Sasuke quickly cast a spell to temporarily blind Yubaba, wherever she was, and hold her back. He soon followed Sakura in the direction she left, stealing a couple small dumplings from a nearby store as he did so.

Sakura ran down the streets, shocked to see that the lamps in the deserted streets were turning on by themselves. Dusk had finally settled and the darker it got, the more lights shone.

"Sasuke" She cried, turning another corner only to run into a giant shadow-like figure with bright yellow orbs for eyes. She let out a small cry as she dodged it and continued on her escape. As she continued to run, though, more of those shadow-like creatures started appearing. They didn't chase her, though. They simply followed her with their gaze, eventually going back to whatever they were doing.

"The river… I need to get to the river…"

Sakura ran down the last few steps to get to the field. She continued to run until…

Splash!

"What? Water" Sure enough, Sakura was up to her waist in cold water. She let out another cry as she climbed out of the water and up the steps.

"But… there was no water here this afternoon…" She whimpered, hugging herself. She then looked at her hands and gasped. The tips of her fingers were beginning to fade.

"Augh! I'm see-through" Sakura started to rub her hands vigorously, trying to see if it would make it go away. Sadly, it only made herself vanish faster.

"SASUKE"

Sasuke ran down the hill. Looking down at his fading hands, he realized that he needed to eat some of the food. He took one of the small dumplings and popped it in his mouth.

Now… to find Sakura.

Sasuke ran down the steps and stopped right before his feet made contact with the water. Glancing down, he noticed small, very faint ripples extruding from a spot right near the edge. Sasuke frowned.

"She didn't make it out…" Sasuke cursed silently. "Then that means…" His eyes widened. "Shit"

Turning on his heel, Sasuke ran up the hill, trying to get a glimpse of pink hair.

He needed to find her before she completely disappeared from his life… LITERALLY!

TBC…

Ok. There's chappy 1! hope u liked it! Plenty more to come! DEFINITELY FLUFF! REVIEW PLEASE!


	2. Vanishing

Hello again! I got such good reviews, I couldn't help but update! I got hooked on writing this fic! HAHAHA!

Reviewers:

Vegasbobcat: Congratulations! You are the first person to review! You should be proud! Hope u like this chappy too!

Wyldcat: Not for that long, right? It's a sea wide! Can they run that long?

**Chapter 2: Vanishing**

Sakura lay curled up in a ball behind one of the buildings. Tears streaked her face as she continued to fade away. The 'vanishing' as she called it had spread up to her shoulders and her legs had now begun to fade as well.

"Sasuke…" She said in a choked whisper. "I'm sorry…"

The raven haired boy made it to the top of the grassy hill, scanning the area for that oddly familiar colour of pink. He finally found it near one of the buildings. He could see her curled up and from the sounds of it, she had been crying.

Sasuke ran up to his old teammate, lifting her up into a sitting position as he did so.

"Sakura… are you alright?" Sakura shook her head, showing him what was left of her hands. "I know how to get rid of it… but you're going to have to trust me, alright?" Sakura nodded once again.

Lifting up his hand, he revealed the small piece of food. "Here. You need to eat this." Sakura hesitated, squirming slightly away from him. "Sakura… if you don't eat some food from here, you're going to disappear completely!"

"No! Leave me alone!" Sakura made a move to push him away, but her hands didn't make contact with anything. She found this odd, for she could still feel his hand supporting her back. Opening an eye, she looked up to see a perfectly calm Sasuke. Looking down, she realized that her hands had gone straight through his chest. She quickly pulled back and curled up into a ball, blushing slightly.

"Ah… I'm sorry…" She whispered, averting her gaze. Sasuke shook his head.

"Here." Sasuke took the piece of food and quickly placed it in her mouth. Sakura went to spit it out, but Sasuke kept a hand on her jaw. "Chew…" he instructed. Sakura did as she was told. "…and swallow." Sasuke nodded as he removed his hand from her face. "There. You're all better. Look." Sasuke lifted his hand once again, holding it in front of him. Sakura lifted her own hand, slowly bring it to his. She felt her fingertips touch his palm without phasing through, causing her to smile weakly.

"Thank you." She whispered. Sasuke nodded. "I'm so sorry… I didn't make it in time. It's like a sea out there. I couldn't run all that way-"

"Don't worry." He said, pulling her up. "I didn't make it out the first time either." This reply caught Sakura's interest. She was about to ask when Sasuke looked up at the sky. Sakura followed his gaze and she saw what looked like a vulture flying over. But when she focused on it, she realized that it fashioned the head of an old woman with a strangely big nose on it.

"Ew… what _is _that thing?" Sakura asked, scrunching her nose up. Sasuke, realizing what it was, pushed Sakura into to the wall, hiding her. The vulture-like creature flew in circles over their heads and eventually flew away.

"Yubaba knows you're here." Sasuke told her after stepping back. "If they catch you…" Sakura frowned.

"Sasuke. Who is Yubaba? And what do you mean by 'you didn't make it out the last time'?" Sasuke sighed.

"I can't explain everything right now." He told her. "But I can tell you that Yubaba is the owner of that bath house up there. She knows you're here and wants you for dead. Humans aren't allowed in this realm. The only way to survive here is to work. You understand?" Sakura nodded. "Good. Now follow me."

Taking her hand, Sasuke led Sakura around the backs of the stores, pausing every once in a while as the bird flew over again.

"So… is your brother… gone?" Sasuke paused, but then nodded.

"Yeah… Itachi's dead." Sasuke replied.

"Now all you have to worry about is the restoration of the Uchiha clan." Sakura immediately covered her mouth as Sasuke winced. Bad move. As most people know, the restoration includes doing _that_ with a girl. Sasuke _really_ didn't need that yet.

"Sorry." She whispered. Sasuke shook his head.

"It's alright…" He muttered, looking at the ground. "I know I have to face that some time or other…" Sakura smiled.

The two continued to walk until they made it to the same bridge where they had reunited. There were now hundreds of strange spirits walking across to the bath-house while giant toads with lanterns greeted them. Sasuke formed a symbol with his hand and quickly muttered a small chant under his breath. He then took Sakura's hand.

"You have to hold your breath while crossing the bridge, alright? Even the tiniest breath will break the spell. Sakura nodded in understanding, as the grip on her hand became tighter.

"Alright… take a deep breath…" Sakura did as she was told, "… and hold it." They took their first few steps onto the bridge. Sakura just wanted to dash across, but Sasuke held her back, trying not to look conspicuous. She soon started hearing several of the servants at the bath-house gossip.

"Is it true?"

"Yes! Sasuke-kun is back! And he's hotter than ever!" Sakura glanced at the boy next to her in disbelief. Not only was Sasuke popular in Konoha, he was also popular here- wherever 'here' was…

Either way, her suspicions were aroused. How would they know Sasuke? She scowled as several of the workers waved flirtatiously at the boy beside her. Sasuke glanced over at Sakura, hoping that she wouldn't do something out of jealousy. He squeezed her hand once again to turn her thoughts away from the workers. This seemed to work… for now…

"Master Sasuke! You've returned!"

To both Sasuke and Sakura's surprise, a frog in a blue kimono leapt up in front of them. Sakura shrieked, then winced.

"What? A human!"

Before the frog could say another word, Sasuke whacked him on the head with a kunai, sending him flying across the bridge.

"Run!"

Sasuke sprinted across the remaining length of the bridge, dragging Sakura along as he did so. They turned a corner and leapt over a vine-covered fence, out of view from the panicking spirits.

Sakura leaned back against the fence, her knees pulled up to her chest. Sasuke, who sat diagonal from her, glanced at the pink-haired girl in worry.

"Sasuke… I'm sorry for breathing. That frog scared me…" Sasuke sighed and shook his head at her apology.

"Don't worry." He said, smiling weakly. "He surprises everyone." Sakura smiled at his statement, when something caught her attention.

"Sasuke… how do you know about this place?" She asked, crawling closer to him. "From what I've heard, you're known quite well around here." She added darkly, thinking back to the flirtatious women on the bridge.

"It's a long story." He replied, closing his eyes. "I'll tell you some other time. But for now…" Sasuke sat up fully, placing a hand on Sakura's shoulder. "You _must_ listen to me if you want to live." Sakura nodded, her eyes showing her focus. "When everything calms down…" Sasuke started, glancing at the door where the silhouettes of the workers ran back and forth, crying his name. "…go through that gate over there." He gestured in the direction of a small, wooden gate hidden in the bushes. "Go down the stairs until you reach a door. Go through it to the boiler room. There, you'll meet Komagi, the boiler man."

"Komagi?" Sakura questioned. Sasuke nodded.

"Ask him for work. Even if he refuses, you must insist. Say that… I told you to. That might work." Sakura nodded once again, the nagging question in the back of her mind becoming even more annoying. Despite this, she refrained from asking.

"Sasuke… thank you." Sakura smiled softly at the raven-haired boy, who nodded. He removed his hand from her shoulder and stood up.

"I'll talk with you later, alright?"

"Alright." Sakura said quietly, rubbing one of her eyes. Sasuke started to walk when something caught his hand. He looked down to see Sakura clutching it tightly.

"Sasuke… you won't forget about me… right?"

Sasuke was taken aback by this. Why would he forget about her? Sakura was his teammate… his friend… he couldn't possibly forget about her!

Crouching down, the raven-haired boy pulled Sakura into a warm hug, leaving her in a state of shock.

"Don't worry… I won't forget." He whispered, letting her head rest on his shoulder. Sakura sniffled slightly.

"Thanks…" She choked as he pulled back. Sasuke gently wiped the tears off of her face with his thumb.

"Now… I have to go. Just wait until everything dies down."

"Okay." Sakura smiled. "Komagi, right?"

"Komagi." He replied with a nod. Sasuke glanced at the door once again, letting out a small sigh as they listened to the panicked voices. "I should get going now…"

"Alright…" Sakura looked down at the grass. "Bye…"

Sasuke nodded before opening the door. One of the workers… a male from the sounds of his voice, spoke to him in a panicked tone.

"Master Sasuke! Yubaba wants to see you."

"I know…" Sasuke growled as he closed the door behind him. He didn't bother to glance back at her, in fear that his actions would give her away. Sakura smiled slightly as the door slid shut.

"Sasuke…" She whispered, smiling. She hugged her knees, remembering exactly how it felt when Sasuke hugged her. It was such a wonderful feeling. He was so warm! She loved that about him. The back of her head where Sasuke's hand had rested still tingled from his touch. He was such an amazing guy. It was no wonder that everybody crushed on him at home.

Home… she had forgotten about Konoha. How were they supposed to get back? It was like an ocean: impossible to see the other side. Well, from what she could tell, Sasuke had been here before. She had no idea when, but he had definitely been well known. Sakura frowned once again, thinking back to the flirtatious women on the bridge. If they had seen her, those women would've probably attacked her. Not only because she was 'human' as they said, but because she was with _their _Sasuke! What was with them! She then remembered all of the girls in Konoha. They were no different from these women… all except for the fact that these women were spirits and the girls from Konoha were shinobi.

Sakura sighed once again. She looked up at the bathhouse, straining her ears to see if there was any panic. From what she could tell, everyone realized that Sasuke was there. It was quiet again.

With one last glance at the building, Sakura crawled over to the gate, silently lifting the latch and pushing it open. She crept through and closed it quietly behind her. She looked down at the stairs, gaping at the height. It was massive!

Biting her lip, Sakura took her first few steps down the steps, unsure what would be at the bottom.

Sasuke walked silently through the decorated halls. As he reached each set of doors, they would open for him. He didn't find this as a surprise. This was always expected from Yubaba. It was one of her many ways of intimidating you.

The last door opened as he stepped into a large room. He looked around to find that nothing had changed at all.

"Ah… so you've finally returned, Sasuke."

The raven-haired boy turned calmly in the direction the voice had come from.

"Yubaba…"


	3. Sasuke and Yubaba

Hewwo again! Here's chapter 3 for everybody who wished for it! Yay!

**Chapter 3: Sasuke and Yubaba**

Sasuke glared in the direction of an old woman with a strangely large head. He cringed at the sight of her face, as every wrinkle was distinguishable. Despite this, she wore tacky make-up to make herself look younger. She had failed miserably. She held a cigarette along with the extension between her teeth, savoring every toxic puff of smoke she inhaled.

"Ah… so the great Uchiha boy is back…" Her raspy voice was like nails on a chalkboard. Sasuke stayed silent as smoke flared out of her nostrils. "It's been a while, Sasuke."

"Too soon, I'm afraid." He bit back. He despised this old hag. She was a greedy old bat whose head was too big for her body and brain. Yubaba frowned, letting a smoke ring float gently across the room towards him.

"You've grown strong, I see." She pointed out. "No doubt with your shinobi training?" Sasuke nodded. "And that girl…"

Sasuke hesitated. He needed to hold her back… give Sakura a chance to make it to the top floor.

"She's my teammate." He explained quietly. "She grew worried of my disappearance and came searching for me. She accidentally came upon this place and thought I was on the other side.

"So you ended up finding her instead." Yubaba laughed. She coughed slightly, but ignored it. "And you want me to spare her." Sasuke frowned, but nodded. "Heh… why should I spare that pathetic child?" She asked.

"What has she done?" He countered cooly. Yubaba froze, causing Sasuke to smirk. Since Sakura hadn't done anything, and her happening on this place wasn't intentional, killing her would be pointless murder.

"Ah… so you're protecting this one, huh?" Yubaba sneered. "What is she to you? Teammate? Friend? Or… more…?" Sasuke's eyes thinned at the statement.

"Shut it, Yubaba…" He warned in a low voice. "You don't know what I'm capable of." Yubaba chuckled, her raspy voice echoing in the room.

"Really, Uchiha." She said, letting the smoke stream out of her nostrils once again. "I do know that you are a full-fledged ninja now. I have been watching you. I know of your Sharingan technique… along with the curse Orochimaru gave to you." Sasuke growled, clutching the mark on his neck. It stung slightly, reminding him that it was there.

"You witch…" He snarled. "Why spy on me after I left?" Yubaba smirked, revealing teeth that were larger than his fists.

"I had a feeling that you would return to me." She chortled. Sasuke glared at the old woman.

"I didn't return to you. I returned for Sakura." Yubaba laughed again.

"Yes, but now you're both trapped here!" The large-headed woman continued to laugh hysterically, while Sasuke stayed silent.

He needed more time… if Sakura didn't make it up here, she would most likely be killed by Yubaba. Just a few more minutes…

Sakura opened the door silently, stealthily walking down a hallway covered with pipes and gauges. Blasts of warm air and steam blew at her, causing her to jump slightly.

Suddenly, a bell rang at the other end of the hall and a cry of anger followed suit.

"Stupid bath tokens!" The raspy voice of an old man cried. Sakura looked inside and gasped. There was an old man with a moustache and four extremely long arms furiously grinding herbs together. Once he finished, he would jerk on the funny wooden tokens with different symbols on them. Another bell would ring and the token would shoot up and disappear inside a hole. Every once in a while, an arm would stretch out and open one of the drawers on the wall to her right, taking out some strange herb as he did so.

"Um… Komagi?" Sakura said quietly, stepping inside the boiler room. She couldn't believe how hot it was inside. How did he survive in here?

The old man turned to face her. As he leaned over in her direction, she realized that he wore small, black sunglasses. They were most likely for the glare of the fire.

"Yes, I'm Komagi." He muttered, looking back at his work. "If you're looking for work, I'm afraid you've come to the wrong place. I have all the workers I need." He gestured to the lower part of the floor at her feet. Sakura raised an eyebrow, but then looked down where he had pointed. There were little black balls of soot with large, buggy eyes carrying heavy bits of coal over to the furnace. They were the most adorable things she had ever seen. She bent down and caught one of the soot-things as it returned and let it rest in her hands. It squeaked in excitement and bounced slightly, causing Sakura to giggle. She released the soot ball and dusted the black excess off of her hands as she watched it disappear into one of the many holes that lay in a row in the lower platform.

"Sasuke said you'd say that." Sakura said quietly. Komagi paused, turning to her.

"Sasuke… he's returned…?" Sakura nodded hesitantly, curiosity flooding her mind once again. "I see…" He jerked the last token and then shouted at the soot balls to have a break.

"Um… excuse me… Komagi… how do you know Sasuke?" Sakura asked quietly. Komagi chuckled.

"Sasuke… he came here a while ago… I believe he was nine human years old…" Sakura's eyes widened at this. So Sasuke _was_ here before! Had he chanced on this place just as she had?

"Now tell me…" Komagi piped up. "How do _you_ know Sasuke?" Sakura smiled.

"Oh… he's my teammate. We're shinobi now." She replied quietly. Komagi nodded, although she could see a slight hint of surprise on his face.

"Komagi! You're supper's ready!" A cupboard near the corner, which Sakura had not noticed before, slid open, revealing a young woman with long brown hair tied back loosely. She wore a pink uniform, and in her hands, she carried some ramen and a basket of colourful star-like candies. "Lunch time, little guys!" She called in the direction of the holes. As she said this, the giant mass of soot-creatures flew out, swarming around the woman's feet as she sprinkled the candies over their heads. They leapt up in excitement, catching as many of them as she could. The woman turned her head in Sakura's direction and gasped.

"Another human!" She cried in disbelief. She then laughed. "I take it I'm supposed to take care of her?" Komagi nodded.

"Yeah… she came with Sasuke." He explained. The woman raised an eyebrow.

"Sasuke, huh? Impressive…" She leaned closer to Sakura, her hands on her hips. "Is he your boyfriend?" She teased. Sakura, blushing furiously, shook her head.

"No… my teammate." She replied quietly. The woman smirked.

"Right." She said, rolling her eyes. Sakura scowled at her, making the woman laugh. "My name's Lin, what's yours?" Sakura smiled and told Lin her name.

"Sakura, huh?" Lin chuckled. "Matches your hair." Sakura smiled. At least she had one friend now.

"Alright you two. Now that you've finished your little chat, you better go." Lin frowned.

"Hey! I've already helped a girl up there once. I don't need to again!" Komagi chuckled.

"How about for this roasted newt?" He said, holding the fried gecko in front of face. Lin drooled as he twisted it around, letting the aroma reach her nose.

"Gimme that!" She snapped, snatching it away. "C'mon, Sakura. Follow me." She said as she dumped the rest of the candies on the soot balls' heads. "Leave your shoes behind too." Sakura nodded, pulling her shoes off and leaving them in the corner.

"Good luck!" Komagi hollered before turning back to his work. Sakura bowed before crawling through the cupboard.

"We need to go get to the top floor," Lin explained, "…so we'll make it easy and go up the elevators." Sakura nodded in understanding, looking up at all of the massive gears and pulleys.

"Wow…" She murmured as she looked up at the never-ending shaft. Lin scowled.

"What's your deal? It's just an elevator." She growled. "Now come on!" Sakura, noticing her impatience, ran after Lin into the elevator. Lin let out an exasperated sigh as she pulled the lever down. There was a sudden lurch and soon the elevator was rising upwards.

"There's the baths… the baths… oh, a party floor… baths… baths… and that's it. The sleeping quarters and the kitchen are out of sight, of course. Nobody wants to see those." Sakura smiled. Lin had turned out to be quite the character, and she enjoyed her company.

The elevator slowed down and eventually stopped.

"Crap…" she growled. "We need to get into another elevator." Sakura nodded. Lin turned her head and gasped. There was a giant vegetable-like spirit with a shallow bowl for a hat standing in front of them.

"The radish spirit!" She exclaimed, trying her best to look cheerful. "Nice to see you again!"

The radish mumbled something, pointing one of its root-like fingers upwards. As it spoke, the smell of radishes overwhelmed Sakura's senses, causing her eyes to water.

"Sorry, this elevator doesn't go any higher." She said sweetly. The radish spirit nodded and stepped aside for them. Lin walked briskly, dragging Sakura behind her.

"You know, I'm having the largest case of déjà-vu right now…" She muttered. Sakura felt curiosity rise inside her for what seemed like the millionth time that day.

"You mean… you've helped someone before?" Lin nodded.

"Yes… Sen was her name… she was my assistant."

"I see…" Sakura glanced around. "So… is Sen still here?" Lin shook her head.

"No…" She replied softly. "Sen's contract was torn up and she managed to leave. Haku left shortly after her."

"Who's Haku?" Lin's eyes narrowed.

"He's who your friend Sasuke replaced." She replied darkly. "Yubaba's henchman."

This answer only led to more questions. But before Sakura could ask, they had arrived at the next elevator. Lin opened the door and stepped inside.

"You coming?" She asked expectantly. Sakura nodded quickly and ran into the compartment. The elevator shifted once again as they headed upwards.

"I'll take you to the top floor, but from then on, you're on your own." Lin instructed.

"Alright." Sakura replied. Hopefully, Sasuke would be there too.

The elevator slowed down to a stop. The door slid open and Sakura stepped out.

"Good luck, girl." Lin said as the door closed. Sakura bowed and turned towards the door. The giant double-doors were painted white with gold edges. The center was decorated with painted flowers and birds and from the looks of it, the door was mahogany.

The pink-haired shinobi walked up the steps to the door. She reached for the handle when something caught her attention. It was a golden doorknocker in the shape of a head.

Turning her direction back to the actual door, she reached for the handle.

"Aren't you even going to knock?"

Sakura jumped and turned to the direction of the voice. To her surprise, it was the doorknocker talking! She gasped and took a step back, gaping at the ugly face.

"You're more pathetic than Sen!" She snapped. Sen. It was the second time she heard that name! Who was this girl?

Sakura's thoughts were interrupted as the lock clicked and the door creaked open. The lights in the room behind her turned on, followed by another door opening and so on. Glancing at the rooms, she noticed massive painted urns and even taller paintings.

"Come in." A raspy voice echoed through the halls. Sakura hesitated, reaching for a kunai.

"I said, come _in_!"

Sakura felt a jerk in her chest as she was dragged against her will into the halls. She glanced down at the floor, and gasped, realizing that her feet weren't touching the carpet. She didn't have time to worry about it, though, as she was jerked to the right and down another hall.

One last door opened as Sakura was hurtled into what looked like a mix between an office and a fortune-teller's tent. She lifted herself from the carpet and dusted herself off.

"So you're Sakura." That same voice from the door was back. Sakura turned to the desk and gasped. It was an old woman! A REALLY old woman. She cringed at the sight of her. Sure, Sakura had seen ugly, but this was _beyond_ ugly! And the size of her head didn't help either. Her hair was tied back in a bun and she wore a blue dress with puffy shoulders. Multiple rings adorned her chubby fingers and her tacky make up reached up to her eyebrows. Her nose was bigger than her hand and what looked like a wart sat between her eyes. The old hag chuckled.

"Ah, yes. Sasuke has told me so much about you." She laughed. Sakura looked around to find the raven-haired boy standing in a dark corner of the room.

"Sasuke…?" She breathed. He opened his eyes momentarily to look at her, but averted his gaze. Sakura's eyes thinned in question. What did she mean by that?

"I take it you want a job?" The old woman asked. Sakura nodded slowly, unsure of what was ahead. "I see…" The hag let out a sigh and waved a hand. As she did so, a piece of paper and a pen drifted over to her.

"Sign there and you'll be put to work." She drawled, absentmindedly fiddling with one of the jewels on her rings. Sakura caught the paper and pen and glanced over at Sasuke, who said nothing. Biting her lip, Sakura crouched down and scribbled her name down.

"You done?" The old woman barked. The paper slipped from under Sakura's hands and flew over to her. "Oh, So you're name's Sakura. Such a pretty name."

"Yubaba…" Sasuke growled. The old woman paused. So _she_ was Yubaba! The old woman chuckled.

"Sorry, Uchiha. It's part of the contract." Yubaba sneered, turning back to the paper. Raising a hand over Sakura's name, she closed her eyes. To Sakura's horror, the characters of her name started to shift. Some of them lifted entirely off of the page while others rearranged themselves.

"Your name will be Rin from now on." Yubaba informed Sakura, letting her see her contract. Sakura looked down at the paper and gasped. Most of her name had been taken away, all except for a few characters which had been rearranged to form her new name.

"Rin! Answer me!" Sakura jumped and replied hastily.

"Y-yes ma'am!"

TBC…

Tadaaa! And there you have it! More fluff to come!  
Any questions u have, I shall answer!

One more thing! I know the lines are different from the movie! I MADE them that way! Kapeesh! Okay!

Eek! I said Kapeesh! That reminds me of peaches…


	4. Cherry blossoms

Hello again! Here's chappy four! I really enjoy this fic, so hope u do too!

**Chapter 4: Cherry Blossoms**

"Y-yes ma'am!"

Sasuke winced as she said these words. She was now trapped in the spirit world with him. It pained him to keep her here and to force her to lose her name, but it was her only chance for survival. Sure, she could fight people off, but when it came do Yubaba's magic, she was utterly defenseless.

"Well then…" Yubaba said, a malicious look in her bulging eyes. "Sasuke, would you be so kind as to take Kira downstairs?" Frowning, Sasuke stepped out of his corner. He took Sakura's hand and led her out of the room without a word.

Sasuke pulled her slowly down the halls, not wanting to look at her face. In a way, he had betrayed her. He had stolen her name and she would most likely forget it in the next day or so.

Taking his chances, the raven-haired boy stole a glance of his friend. Her eyes were fogged over, and he knew she was still trying to figure things out.

There were several things he still had to figure out too. If his contract hadn't been torn, how did he remember his name and escape? He knew he didn't do it alone… what confused him was what _made_ him remember.

"Sasuke…"

The Uchiha was snapped out of his thoughts as he turned to the young girl. Her eyes were still misted over and she didn't even bother to look at him.

"Sasuke, I'm scared…" She whispered. Sasuke stopped in mid-stride, turning to the pink-haired girl.

"You don't have to worry, Sakura." He told her firmly.

"I'm not Sakura anymore…" She murmured, the grip on Sasuke's hand tightening. "They took my name… it's gone…"

Sakura started to mumble incoherent sentences. Her emerald eyes were glazed over and she started to lose her footing. Sasuke's eyes widened as he caught her just before she fell.

"Sakura…!" Sasuke bit his lip as he lifted her back up into a standing position. Pulling her arm over his shoulder, he half-carried her to the elevator. Pushing a button, he watched with anxious eyes as the elevator doors slid open. Once it had opened, Sasuke stumbled inside, dragging Sakura along with him. The pink-haired shinobi pushed herself away from Sasuke, leaning on the wall for support. Tears that had been held back for who-knows how long, flowed freely down her cheeks.

"Sasuke!" She cried, wrapping her arms around his neck as several more choked sobs escaped her. The elevator shifted downward as Sasuke returned the gesture.

"Sakura… I'm so sorry… it was the only way, I'm afraid…" Sakura pulled back from him and slid down the wall, pulling her knees to her chest once she hit the bottom.

"I feel like such an idiot…" She hiccuped. "If I hadn't gone out to look for you… we wouldn't be… in this mess."

Sasuke gazed down at her with soft, onyx eyes. She looked so vulnerable now… just like when she was little… before she became a shinobi… before he was her teammate. Her now messy hair was strewn across her face. Her emerald eyes were filled with tears, while deeper inside, they had a look of fear and sadness. Her whole body shivered from the crying and many sobs escaped her lips.

Crouching down, Sasuke hushed Sakura and rubbed her back in reassurance.

"It will be okay, Sakura…" He cooed. "We might be here for a few days, so you're going to have to stay strong for me… alright?" Sakura looked up at him with tear-stained eyes and for the second time, his thoughts brought him back to when she was a little girl. He quickly shook the thoughts out of his head.

"Thanks… I'll do that…" She replied, smiling. Sasuke reached a hand out and lifted her up.

"Think you can last the next few days?" Sakura nodded.

& & & & &

"You look great, Kira!"

Sakura and Lin sat on the balcony, wearing their work uniforms. Sakura had been paired up to be Lin's partner, which cheered her up. She would have to thank Sasuke for that later. What impressed her though, was her uniform. These uniforms were beautifully woven kimonos: Lin's was pink with white and red flowers, while Sakura's was light blue with soft pink lilies.

"Wow…" Sakura murmured as she admired the silk. "This is your uniform?" Lin nodded.

"Yeah… I got a promotion a while back. I think I enjoy this job more than scrubbing the tubs." Sakura giggled.

"Well enough about my job." Lin said, changing the subject. "Tell me more about your Sasuke." Sakura's cheeks flushed slightly.

"Oh… h-him? He's just a teammate." She said, smiling slightly. Lin laughed.

"Right." She teased, rolling her eyes. Sakura frowned.

"Hey!" Lin continued to laugh.

"Still. You have it made. Do you know how many girls would die to be in your position right now?" Sakura couldn't help but smile. Now that she thought about it, she really took her position with Sasuke for granted.

"Yeah… Sasuke's a nice guy." She agreed. Lin gave her a knowing look.

"You like him." Sakura blushed once again, but did not argue.

"Do you have any crushes?" Sakura prodded. Lin laughed, trying to hide the blush on her cheeks.

"Me? Nah!" Sakura frowned.

"You do so!" She argued. Smirking, Sakura lowered her voice. "I can tell… and I _will_ find out!" Lin gulped.

"Yeah, but not before I set you and your Sasuke up!"

The two continued to gossip and chat late into the night and eventually went to bed.

& & & & &

Sasuke sat on the balcony, waiting for Sakura to stir. Compared to the rest of these women, she was an early riser.

Letting out a sigh of impatience, the shinobi lightly tapped his foot on the wooden surface. There was a sudden movement in Sakura's futon as she sat up to see where the noise had come from.

"Sasuke?" She mouthed the words, fearing that somebody would wake. Sasuke nodded.

"Meet me at the bridge." He said before vanishing. Sakura looked around to find her uniform. Wrapping the silk around herself, she tied the sash around her waist loosely, making a gentle bow. She quickly brushed her hair back and tied her head-protector on. Not being able to find her wooden sandals, she decided to go barefoot.

Sakura lightly stepped over the other sleeping women, avoiding body parts and letting her feet land on wood instead. She walked over to the door and headed down the hall to the elevators.

Knowing it would be too obvious for her to go out the front door, Sakura went to the underground levels and retraced her steps to the boiler room.

Sliding open the door, Sakura tiptoed past the sleeping Komagi. She opened the door and climbed up the stairs to the courtyard. Once she was sure nobody was watching, she leapt over the fence and ran to the bridge. Sasuke stood at the other side, silently waiting for her.

"You look good." He said quietly, admiring her change. Sakura blushed and smiled.

"Thank you…" She said. "You wanted to see me?" Sasuke nodded.

"Follow me." He instructed, walking down a path to the right. Sakura did as she was told and followed him. As they walked, she noticed that Sasuke was still wearing his other clothes. It was as if Sasuke had read her mind.

"Yubaba doesn't control me. I managed to get my name back a long time ago."

"How?" Sakura asked in interest. Sasuke paused.

"I'm… not really sure…" He admitted. "But for some reason, whenever I think about it, I can always picture you." His cheeks flushed slightly, but since his back was to her, Sakura didn't see. "I don't know why, but you're a part of the reason I remembered my name. I just don't know how…"

"Ah…" Sakura looked around and realized that they were in a massive garden with flower bushes that rose above their heads. It was one of the most beautiful sights she had ever seen.

The two stopped under a cherry blossom tree at the edge of a steep slope. A building sat at the foot of the hill. The squeal of pigs reached Sakura's ears and she gasped.

"Is that… a slaughter house?" Sasuke nodded.

"Sort of." He said. "They used to be humans who trespassed in this realm."

Sakura gazed at the building, horrified to hear this.

"Does anyone else know?" Sasuke shook his head.

"No… if they did, they wouldn't eat it, would they?" Sakura put on a weak smile.

"No… I guess they wouldn't…" Was her choked reply. Sasuke gazed down at the cherry blossom, unsure of what to do.

"Sakura…" The pink-haired girl gave him a puzzled look.

"Sakura… that's my name… right?" Her eyes widened as she backed into the tree, sliding down the trunk and into a sitting position. "Oh my god… I forgot my name! How could I forget it!"

Sasuke glanced up at the tree, watching as the blossoms swayed gently in the wind. Reaching up to the closest branch, he plucked one of the soft, pink flowers and placed it in Sakura's hair.

"Use this to remember your name." He said softly. Sakura smiled.

"Thank you." She whispered. Taking her chances, Sakura reached up and kissed Sasuke on the cheek. The raven-haired boy's eyes went wide and his cheeks flushed. Sakura pulled back, averting her gaze, fearing that Sasuke would reject her. There was silence afterwards. The only sound was the splashing of water in the distance and the twittering birds up in the cherry blossom trees.

"…You'd better get back…" Sasuke stated, staring off in the direction of the building. Sakura glanced up at him and smiled when she noticed the faint hint of pink that still lingered on his cheeks. She knew that he would later deny it, but in her mind, it would remain a Kodak moment.

"Okay." She said, standing up. "Thanks again!" She called before running through the flowers. Sasuke nodded, watching as she disappeared through the flowers.

& & & & &

"Kira! There you are!"

Sakura turned to see Lin rush up to her. She held two large rice-balls eagerly in her hands. "Where were you? I got us some breakfast." She said, handing her one of the tasty treats.

"Sorry." Sakura replied, smiling. She took a bite of the rice-ball, savoring the taste of the wonderful jam in the center. "Mmm… I haven't had one of these in forever!" She exclaimed. Lin smiled.

"I knew you'd like it." Lin laughed, taking a bite of her own. "Now, c'mon, We have to go serve some customers. Sakura raised an eyebrow in interest.

"Oh, so we're waitresses?" Lin shrugged.

"Sort of." She said, laughing. "We serve the food, but we also do a lot of other things."

"Okay. Let's go!" The pink-haired girl said eagerly, running up to the elevator. Lin let out a cry of protest as she caught up with her new friend. Lin closed the elevator door behind her and pulled the lever. Turning back to Sakura, she studied her face.

"Hmm… sorry, Kira, but the headband's got to go. It's uniform protocol." Nodding sadly, Sakura pulled it off, letting her short, pink hair fall down gently. "The flower can stay though." She added sweetly. "It looks nice on you."

Smiling, Sakura bowed in thanks as the elevator doors opened once again. It was the second floor from the top, making it that much closer to Yubaba and Sasuke.

The two walked down the hall, listening through the paper walls at the many conversations the spirits were having while eating their breakfast. They turned and opened a door to their left, which led to a giant banquet hall. Right then, she spirits were being served many wonderful breakfast dishes; some of them that Sakura had never seen before.

"Kira! This way!" Lin called, ushering her to a smaller room on the opposite side. Sakura followed quickly.

"Here. Take this food and put it at the far end over there." Lin instructed, pointing to the table. "Take the empty dish and bring it back here so they can clean it. Alright?" Sakura nodded. This job wasn't as bad as she thought.

Taking the tray, Sakura walked over to the far side of the table, picking up the old dish and replacing it with a new one full of food. As she did this, a particularly handsome spirit eyed her from a few seats down. He had long silver hair tied back and piercing red eyes. His body was well toned and his face was flawless in every way. He wore a beautiful black kimono and at his side was a katana. Sakura, who hadn't noticed his presence took the dish and hurried back to the kitchen.

"You there." The man said as he caught Lin's arm. The maid turned to him in question. "That young woman… the one with the pink hair… what is her name?" Lin gave him a puzzled look, but replied.

"Oh, her? That's Kira. Why do you ask?" The man smiled.

"No reason." He replied, looking over at the other side of the table where the young girl had just filled a glass of water for a different spirit.

"Hmm… Kira, huh?" The man turned back to Lin. "Please inform Yubaba that I wish to speak with her."

Nodding quickly, Lin ran out of the room to the top floor.

TBC…

Yeah, so there's chappy four. Hope u enjoyed it!

Review!


	5. Kagaimaru

Hewwo again! Sorry that this one took longer. I've been working my ass off on all the other fics.

If people are worried, this is NOT a Saku/OC fic! STRICTLY SASU/SAKU! YAAY!

**Chapter 5: Kagaimaru**

A tall man stalked down the decorated halls, his hair shining in the light. He turned a corner and opened the doors to Yubaba's office.

"Ah, Kagaimaru. What brings you here?" Yubaba said as she continued to work on bills for the bathhouse. Kagaimaru's piercing red eyes flashed and a smile appeared on his thin lips.

"A woman." He replied. "A young girl to be precise. Kira, I believe her name is." Yubaba looked up at the man in question.

"Hm? Kagaimaru, what about your wife?" Kagaimaru chuckled.

"She is busy with her little friends." He laughed. "I merely wish for this young woman to be my personal maid for the next little while." Yubaba frowned.

"Kira? Why? She's merely a human!"

"And quite fair for a human, I must say." He said, smirking. Yubaba frowned at his statement, but the man continued. "If you pay my request, I shall pay you twenty extra gold pieces." The old woman's head snapped up.

"Deal!"

Sasuke watched from the hallway, frowning. This Kagaimaru… he had seen him before… but for some reason, he was different this time. The last time, Kagaimaru had mentioned his wife with great respect, but now he made her sound like a foolish child. Something here wasn't quite right… and now that Sakura was pulled into it, he needed to find out what soon.

& & & & &

Sakura sat on the balcony, humming a soft tune. Lin had gone to sleep a while ago with the other women, leaving her to watch the waves of the ocean. She smiled softly to herself, letting her legs hang over the edge of the balcony, dangerously over the waters below.

Pulling her hair behind her ear, Sakura felt a soft object brush against her fingers. Pulling the strange object out of her hear, she smiled when she found the cherry blossom.

"Sakura… that's my name…" She told herself, caressing the small flower. As she did so, a sudden gust of wind blew by, snatching the blossom from her hands. Sakura watched helplessly as the flower was carried away in the breeze. She cursed under her breath as the flower disappeared from view.

"You lost it already?"

Sakura turned to see a familiar pair of onyx eyes gazing down at her. Furious with herself, the pink-haired shinobi averted her gaze, not daring to reply. Sasuke chuckled as he sat down beside her.

"You always have had a knack for losing things." He said. Sakura turned to him in protest to feel something tickle her nose. Looking down, she saw another cherry blossom in his hands. She quickly pulled back, rubbing the pollen from her nose with the back of her hand. Sasuke smiled softly and placed the flower in her hair.

"This time, take better care of it." He teased. Sakura frowned.

"Hey. I lost it just before you came!" She argued. "The wind blew it out of my hands!" Sasuke sighed and glanced out at the sea of water.

"Sakura… there's something I need to tell you." Sakura glanced over at Sasuke questioningly. "You're going to be assigned as a personal maid to a man named Kagaimaru." Sakura frowned.

"That's all you came to tell me?" She said, slightly annoyed. Sasuke shook his head.

"No… I've seen Kagaimaru before… and now… he's not acting like himself." Sakura gave him a questioning look. "Kagaimaru is usually much… kinder, I guess you could say. He's generous and loyal… and he usually can start a conversation at a table. At least, that's what I've seen from past meetings." Sakura looked at Sasuke longingly, waiting for him to continue. "Now, he's… different. I can't explain it. I don't trust him." Sasuke turned to her, a serious look in his eyes. "Just… be careful around him, okay?" Sakura nodded in understanding.

"Alright. Thanks." Sasuke nodded and turned back out to admire the view.

"Just remember. We both need to get out of here alive." He informed her. Sakura turned her head in surprise. He said… 'we' and… 'both'? This was a new twist in events! She had been the one that had trapped them here, and he was still helping her escape.

Smiling slightly, Sakura turned back to face the horizon, letting the moonlight shine on her face. There was a sudden rush of cold air to Sakura's right, and she didn't have to turn to know that Sasuke had left.

& & & & &

"Kira!"

Sakura's head snapped up. The same old woman from before stood at the doorway. Sakura clambered onto his feet, bowing quickly.

"Yes Yubaba?" She said quietly. The wrinkled old woman frowned.

"You have been assigned to be Kagaimaru's personal maid." She said sternly. "His orders, of course." She added darkly. Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"Kagaimaru?" She questioned.

"Ask Lin to tell you." Yubaba growled before scuttling out of the room. Sakura stood in the same spot, totally clueless about what had happened.

"Hey, there, Kira."

Sakura blinked as Lin appeared in the same doorway where Yubaba had once been. She held two dumplings, one in her hand and the other in her mouth.

"Catch." She said, tossing her the food. Sakura caught it and hastily took a bite.

"Lin?"

"Yeah?"

"Who's Kagaimaru?"

Lin paused in mid-chew. Turning to face her, she gave her a puzzled look. "Why? What's got you so interested?"

"Er…" Sakura fidgeted. "Because… I'm now his personal maid." She replied quietly. Lin's eyebrows shot up.

"What!" Lin practically shook the young girl. "No way! You've only been here for like a day and you're the personal assistant of one of the most wealthy, powerful spirits out there! You are so lucky!"

"Uh…" Sakura was still clueless. "That still doesn't answer my question." She pointed out. Lin laughed.

"Okay, remember this morning when you were serving the food?" Sakura nodded. "Remember the guy with the long, silver hair tied back?" Sakura nodded again. "That, would be Kagaimaru." She explained.

"I see…" Sakura let out a sigh. "I still don't see why that's a big deal."

"Kira. Kagaimaru is one of the most powerful spirits in the world! Not to mention he's really hot." Sakura frowned.

"Right." She said, rolling her eyes. Lin chuckled.

"Well, we'd better go." Lin told her as she stood up. "We're expected at the front bridge to greet people."

Nodding, Sakura followed Lin out of the room.

& & & & &

"Kira… get me a glass of water, would you?"

Bowing, Sakura ran out of the room to get what he had requested. Lin had told her early the next morning that she was now Kagaimaru's personal maid and something about him being a powerful, handsome guy or something like that. Once she had entered the room, she found it to be quite dark compared to the other rooms. She ignored the jealous stares of the other women and got a glass for him. Once she returned, she found Kagaimaru standing in the center of the room. He smiled gently at her and took the glass from her hands. His cool fingertips brushed against hers, causing the Shinobi to blush slightly. Now that she saw him, she had to admit that, despite the fact that he was older, he _was_ good looking! His looks rivaled that of Sasuke's! And that was saying a lot. The spirit smiled at her, taking a sip of his drink. His long, silver hair shimmered in the moonlight that radiated from the window.

"So… do you have a wife?" Sakura asked, trying to start a conversation. Kagaimaru glanced at her in curiosity.

"Yes, in fact I do." He replied, smiling. "Why do you ask?" Sakura blushed again.

"Oh! Just wondering!" She replied with a grin. Kagaimaru chuckled. Sakura mentally slapped herself. Great! Now he probably thought that she liked him!

"Hmm… I've noticed that the Uchiha boy is quite fond of you." He said, taking another sip of his water. "He's very protective of you, if I might add."

Sakura's eyes widened at the thought of Sasuke doing what Kagaimaru had said. Sure… he was sweet, not to mention he was helping her escape, but him being fond of her and protective of her… that didn't seem like Sasuke at all.

"Y-you must be mistaken." She stuttered, her hands fidgeting the way Hinata's did. "I just know him… that's all." Kagaimaru chuckled.

"Yes, but you must know him very well, or he wouldn't be keeping such a close watch on you." Sakura turned around, trying to sense Sasuke's chakara. For all she knew, he could be using his Sharingan right then. Kagaimaru laughed once again.

"So you do know him well. You know his tactics as a Shinobi… which makes you his teammate, am I right?" Sakura nodded.

"Yeah… he's my teammate… sort of…" Sakura bit her lip. Sasuke had been away for a while. It was as if he wasn't part of the team anymore.

"Ah… he left for a while…" Kagaimaru nodded in understanding. "Do not worry. Sasuke is still part of your team." Sakura smiled.

"Thanks…" She said. "I'd better go now. Bye!"

Sakura ran out the door, leaving the spirit to sit in the dark, a small smile on his lips.

& & & & &

Sasuke wandered through the libraries of the bathhouse. Yubaba had introduced him to this room a while ago, knowing that he needed to research spells and other things in order to become stronger. Sure, he had used it for those purposes, but he had also had other reasons for using the books.

Sasuke's finger ran down the page of a fairly large book as he searched for the name he needed. Once he had found it, he flipped to the desired page needed to learn about him. Sasuke's eyes thinned ever so slightly as he began to read to himself.

"Kagaimaru… a legendary spirit most famous in the Northern lands… married to Nagasaka… special powers… damn." Sasuke closed the book. "This information is worthless."

Glancing around, another book caught his eye. This particular book was brown, with a leather binding. It was quite thick… thicker than most of the books around him.

Pulling the book out, he carried it over to the table. Sasuke flipped through the pages until he found what he wanted. He skimmed through one particular battle against a demon that had possessed Kagaimaru's wife and taken over her body along with devouring his sister. As he continued to read, more pieces seemed to fit. By the time he had finished, he knew exactly what Kagaimaru really was… and what he was really after.

TBC…

Uh oh! Spaghetti-o's! Sakura in danger? How could that be? Will Sasuke save her? Dunno. I'll decide.

Happy belated birfday, Vegasbobcat! Lolz!

Thanks to all my reviewers! I couldn't have done it without you guys (And when I say 'guys', I mean both genders!)

REVIEW!


	6. Kagaimaru's True Form

Ohayo again! Here's the long-awaited chapter six! Sorry it took so long… I think… I dunno. I've lost track of time heheh…

I'm actually planning to do a point of view fic for Sasuke to Sakura. I'm not sure exactly how it's gonna work yet… but it will

As for the Breaking the Habit sequel, I dunno when it's gonna be up. Just be happy with what u got now, kay? Kay!

Read and Review!

**Chapter 6: Kagaimaru's true form**

Sakura followed Kagaimaru up the halls, her light blue kimono flowing gently behind her. Kagaimaru had requested Sakura to assist him while he bathed. She didn't do much, though. She merely conversed with the spirit to make him happy. There had been a moment where he had grabbed her wrist and she feared that he would pull her into the tub with him, but it didn't happen.

"Kira…" Kagaimaru turned in the darkness to face her. "You're awfully quiet tonight. Sakura blushed slightly.

"I-I'm sorry…" She stuttered. "Did I offend you?" Chuckling, Kagaimaru shook his head.

"My… a polite one we have here." He teased, advancing towards her. Placing his fingers on her chin, he tilted her head up towards his face. "A very pretty one too." He added quietly, letting his lips brush against hers.

Blushing furiously, Sakura pulled away from his grasp. Trying desperately not to hit him, she managed to choke out, "Uh… my apologies, sir… but I need to go now."

Turning on her heel, Sakura bolted out of the room. She turned a corner and leapt into the elevator. Once the door closed and the elevator started to move, Sakura collapsed onto her hands and knees.

"W-what just happened?" She asked herself. "He… didn't just…"

Biting her lip, Sakura leaned against the wall. Kagaimaru really had hit on her! If she had stayed any longer…

Sakura shook her head, trying to shake the thoughts out of her head. Sure, Sasuke had warned her, but that wasn't exactly what she had expected!

"Kira?"

The pink-haired girl looked up with tear-stained eyes. Lin stood at the door, gazing down at her in worry.

"Kira… are you alright?" She asked, crouching down.

"Kagaimaru… he…" Sakura let out a shuddered breath. "He came onto me…" Lin's eyes widened.

"What? No way! Kagaimaru is never like that! Isn't he married?" Sakura didn't reply. "Kira… come on. Let's get you into bed."

Lifting her up, Lin helped Sakura walk out of the elevator and into the employee rooms. Sakura shed her blue kimono, revealing a thin, white one.

"Just a second, Lin…" She whispered, as she walked towards the balcony. I think I need some fresh air." Lin nodded as Sakura closed the door, leaving her completely alone. She felt tears stream down her cheeks as her breath gave way. Sakura wasn't upset because Kagaimaru had kissed her. No… it was the fact that it was her _first_ kiss. The one kiss that she had been saving for that special someone… was now gone… and it had been taken by a complete stranger!

"Sakura…?"

The pink-haired girl turned at the sound of that all-too-familiar voice. Sasuke stood on the opposite side of the balcony, watching her silently. He glanced down at her cheeks, wondering to himself what had caused her to cry.

He tentatively took a step closer, unsure of what to do. He did not need to move any closer, though, for Sakura had run up to him, clutching the front of his shirt.

"Kagaimaru…" She cried. "He… came onto me…"

Sasuke's eyes widened slightly. He was already after Sakura? This wasn't good. If he got a hold of her at the wrong time…

"He stole my first kiss…" Sakura said in a choked whisper. "I wanted to save it for someone special…" She burst out in tears once again. Sasuke still wasn't sure what to do. Girls were always sensitive about their first kiss. He never understood why.

Thinking back to times with his family, he remembered something that his mother had told him. He only hoped that Sakura would believe it.

"Did you kiss back?" He asked. Sakura looked up at him in question. "Did you kiss him back?" He repeated. Sakura shook her head slowly. "Then it wasn't your first kiss." The pink-haired shinobi gave him a puzzled look.

"What do you mean?" She asked, the grip on his shirt loosening.

"If you didn't kiss the person, then it wasn't _your_ first kiss." He stated simply. "He kissed you. Not the other way around." Sakura smiled, letting Sasuke know that she believed him. He would probably never understand what it was with girls and their first kiss being perfect, but Sakura seemed to be at wits end about it.

"Thank you, Sasuke…" She whispered, hugging him. Sasuke smiled gently and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close and relishing the moment with her.

"Don't worry about it, alright?" Sakura nodded. "I need you to do something for me now… but you're going to need your weapons."

& & & & &

"Hello again, Kira."

Sakura bowed to Kagaimaru silently. Kagaimaru sat on his bed while Sakura stood at the doorway.

"Come in, Kira. You have no need to be shy. And close the door behind you." Sakura did as she was told. Once the door was closed, she turned back to the spirit, who smirked.

"You can get rid of all of your weapons now." He said with a laugh. Sakura's eyes widened in surprise.

"How-how did you…" Kagaimaru chuckled.

"I know a lot of things." He replied. "Now hand them to me, or I shall take them off of you myself." Sakura crouched slightly in defense, causing Kagaimaru to smirk. "Well then… if that's how you want it…"

Kagaimaru grabbed a hold of her wrist and pulled her onto the bed, holding one wrist above her so she couldn't pull any ninjutsu or genjutsu tricks. Chuckling, he reached for her sash.

"It might take a while to search for the weapons though…" He added quietly as he tugged at it tauntingly. Sakura's teeth clenched as she pulled a kunai out from behind her and drove it into the spirit's arm. Fresh blood dripped from the wound and onto her kimono.

"Such a shame, bringing those weapons in here. They don't hurt me." Sakura's eyes widened in horror as he drove the katana further into his arm. Once it was deep enough, Kagaimaru sat up, pulling his arm away from her. Placing his free hand on the handle, he jerked it out and tossed it to the side. Sakura glared as the spirit… no… demon turned back to her. She reached for a few needles, but Kagaimaru caught her other wrist.

"You may not hurt me…" He whispered. "…but you'll hurt my host." Sakura gasped, but then retained her dark look as she continued to squirm under his hold.

"What do you want with me?" She cried, trying with all her might to struggle free.

"You are a shinobi. You are a very powerful being here… and a very fine one, too." He reached down and got a hold of her sash once again. "After this, I plan to devour you for your power. You will be a very juicy treat… that's for sure." He grinned deviously, showing sharp fangs that she had never seen before. He tugged on her sash once again, this time unraveling it completely. He pushed aside the bloodied silk, frowning when his eyes fell upon the smaller, white kimono.

"Hmm… not very revealing, are we?" He laughed, reaching for the second sash. Sakura bit her lip. She was down and out now. Now that she knew that Kagaimaru was actually possessed by a demon, she couldn't kill him now.

"Kagaimaru!"

A katana pierced Kagaimaru's hand, pushing it away from Sakura's middle. They both turned their heads to find Sasuke standing at the door. Sakura smiled at the fellow shinobi as Kagaimaru lifted himself back up.

"Very clever, Muso." Sasuke said with a smirk. "Possessing Kagaimaru to get into the bathhouse without being figured out." The spirit's eyes narrowed in disgust, his fangs bared at the shinobi.

"You weren't originally planning to eat Sakura… were you?" Sasuke continued. "No… you sensed her chakara that morning and jumped at the chance to get more power… especially from a woman." Kagaimaru sat up and chuckled.

"You're very wise, Uchiha." Kagaimaru sneered. "And you're absolutely correct."

To Sakura's horror, something started to push it's way out of Kagaimaru. The real Kagaimaru let out a cry of pain as it burst out from his back. The spirit fell to the floor in a heap. Where it was standing, however was a man around the same height as his host with long, greasy black hair, matted down to his skull. His eyes were a piercing red, reminding Sasuke of his dead brother.

"Muso…" Sasuke snarled, tightening his hold on his kunai knife. The demon smirked and turned back to Sakura.

"Ah, yes… Sakura's your teammate…" He said, brushing her hair away from her face. "She's a delicate one, too." Muso added, leaning in as if to nip her on the neck. His fangs were just scraping her skin when he jerked back. Sakura looked up to see Sasuke holding Muso back and holding a katana at his throat. His eyes had become their well-known piercing red Sharingan form.

"Don't touch her!" Sasuke snarled, sinking the edge of the blade into his neck. Muso smirked and elbowed Sasuke in the stomach, sending him flying backwards.

"You are pathetic, Uchiha." Muso sneered, standing over the fallen shinobi. "You protect this girl because she is the closest thing you have to a friend." Sasuke frowned, wondering what he meant. "Face it, Uchiha. You're alone. You have nobody to care for you. The girls you have chasing you are only following for lust. No friendship whatsoever." Sasuke glared at the demon, unsure of how to react. "Why do you persist on protecting this girl?" He asked, turning his back to face Sakura once again. "What is she to you exactly? A teammate… or more?"

Sasuke's teeth clenched and his crimson eyes thinned into narrow slits. How dare he question his relationship with Sakura! They were teammates! In some ways they had become closer, he realizing that she wasn't the fangirl he had once suspected, and she, realizing that he wasn't the idol she had first thought of him as. Though they barely spoke, no… scratch that… he barely spoke to her, he and Sakura had formed a strange relationship together… one where they could trust one another.

Then again… Muso had a point. He was alone. He had shut out anyone and everyone that he knew, figuring that friendship would make him weak on his journey to destroy Itachi. Now that he had, he couldn't repair the damage done. He would always be considered the cold, heartless Sasuke who never let anyone in.

"Sasuke…" Sakura glanced at Sasuke worriedly. Muso was getting to Sasuke emotionally… how unfair!

"Muso, you bastard!" Sakura threw several needles at him, piercing his chest. Fresh blood dripped down his front and onto the floor. Sakura didn't waste any time, though. She pulled out kunais and shurkien, sending a wave of weapons at him. Muso dodged several attacks, while in other cases, he was hit in the arms, legs and chest. Muso chuckled, turning back to her.

"Ah, yes… I forgot about you." He laughed, advancing on the exhausted shinobi. "You're mine now…"

Sakura, in a state of panic, formed the symbols of the ram and the boar. Muso lunged at Sakura, only to find he had tackled a log. He sat up and turned to see Sakura standing behind him.

"Stupid girl…" He growled. "You will not die so quickly." He advanced towards her once again. "I shall make sure you are tortured every second of the rest of your life… and believe me… it won't be as long as you think."

Sakura's eyes widened as he pushed her against the wall, bearing his fangs once again.

"Sasuke!"

TBC…

Dum dum dum! Muahahahahahaha! Another cliffie! I'm gonna get killed for that… ; Too bad, cuz it's staying like that!

Until next time… lolz!

Review please!


	7. Healing Touch

Hello again! Yeah, I wasn't getting many reviews so I wasn't sure if anyone was reading this. XP

This chapter is full of waffiness! YAY! WAFFY!

Vegasbobcat: Thanks for the great review! U are a good friend!

Icygal237: Thanks for pointing out my mistakes about Kira and Rin. I was trying to find the part where it said Rin and I was all peeved because my replacing thingy is screwed. :P Could u point out where I mixed up? Thanx!

As for it being based on the movie, yes I do know that. I'm adding the story of Chihiro and Haku in sometime. Komagi's going to explain it to Sakura… either that or Zeneba. Whichever one I feel is best to tell. All in all, I'm glad u like my fic! Hope u review again!

And just so there aren't any more problems… I do NOT own Naruto or Spirited away! I just mixed 'em for fun!

**Chapter 7: Healing Touch**

"I said don't touch her!"

Muso let out a cry as the Sharingan windmill was driven through his back, stopping just before it Reached Sakura's stomach. Sasuke pulled it out and stepped backwards. The Uchiha smirked, ignoring the blood dripping off the blade. Muso glared and dove towards Sasuke.

"Perish!"

Eyes thinning, Sasuke swung his windmill around, decapitating him. Muso let out one last sickening cry before his head fell to the ground with a thud. His body, however, continued to move, its claws scratching his side. The corpse collapsed to the ground, blood flowing profusely from his neck. Sasuke paused, waiting for something to happen. Something wasn't right about that battle… Turning back around, he gave Sakura a worried look.

"You okay?" He asked, sitting down beside her. Sakura nodded and tied her kimono back up. "Did he hurt you?"

"No…" She replied. "He was about to… but-" Sasuke cut her off.

"I'm sorry, Sakura…" He said, averting his gaze. "I should've been there." Sakura took his hand gently and smiled.

"It's alright. I'm okay now, quit worrying about the past." Sasuke shook his head.

"I can't." He growled. "You could've been killed. There's a good chance that it could happen again."

Sakura gazed at him softly. "Sasuke-"

There was a muffled groan at their feet. The two glanced down to see the real Kagaimaru starting to stir.

"Oh my god!" Sakura cried, crouching down. "Kagaimaru! Don't worry, you-" Sasuke placed a hand on her shoulder.

"He'll be okay." He said softly, pulling her back. "He's strong. Don't worry about him."

Sakura was about to protest when Kagaimaru raised his head.

"Your friend speaks the truth, you know…"

Sakura glanced down at Kagaimaru, who had a small smile on his face. His eyes had changed from their piercing red to a soft violet.

"You…" He said weakly, squinting so he could focus on her. "You're that girl that Muso was after…" Sakura nodded.

"He's dead now." She explained with a smile. Kagaimaru shook his head as he sat up.

"No… Muso's not dead. He would not let himself get killed so easily." Sasuke's eyes narrowed. He knew that something was wrong with that battle. It was too easy. Kagaimaru was a powerful being… even more powerful than he was.

"No need to worry about him right now." He said. "Right now, I say you should worry about that gash in your side." Sasuke looked down to see the place where Muso's decapitated body had hurled itself at him.

"It's just a scratch." He said flatly. Kagaimaru shook his head.

"No… I don't think so." He said with a frown. "He would not leave you that scratch for no reason. Watch yourself, Sasuke." The Uchiha nodded. "And Sakura…" He said, turning to face the pink-haired girl. "Muso will be after you too… remember that." Sakura smiled and nodded. "Well, I'd better go. My dear Nagasaka will be wondering where I am right now. And Sasuke… Muso's attention will be directed mainly to Sakura. She is female after all." Sasuke nodded in understanding. He bid farewell to the two, leaving them in the dark room once again. Sasuke glanced at Sakura, who was staring at blood splattered floor. Her eyes were wide in horror as she took a step back. Sasuke, curious about what she was so freaked out about, followed her gaze, only to find himself shocked as well.

Muso was gone.

* * *

Sakura stood on the balcony once again, overlooking the calm waters. She still trembled at the thought of Muso attacking her. And finding out that Muso was still alive wasn't the most appealing thought either.

Sakura jumped as a cold hand rested on her shoulder. She turned around quickly; ready to hit whoever had touched her. Another cold hand caught her flying fist as she was forced to look in the face of her attacker. Sakura froze, her eyes wide in surprise.

"S-Sasuke…?" Her stiff formed relaxed slightly, her hand becoming limp. Sasuke nodded, averting his gaze. Sakura was still jumpy about Muso. If he had been there earlier…

"You're still nervous." He pointed out, releasing her hand. Sakura frowned as the Uchiha pulled himself on the guilt trip once again.

"Sasuke. Stop." She said firmly. "I'm fine!"

"No, you're not!" He snapped. "This is what I'm talking about! You know he's going to come after you!"

"I know that!" She shot back. "Oh! I get it now! You think I'm weak! That's why you're so hung up with protecting me! Isn't that-" Sakura was silenced when Sasuke pulled her into a firm and loving hug. Sakura tried to move away, put his hold on her became tighter.

"I'm sorry, Sakura…" He whispered, loosening his grip hesitantly, fearing that she would run from him. "It's not that… it's just… I don't want to lose anything so important to me ever again."

Sakura gasped. She was important to him! Yes! One step closer to Sasuke! "Sasuke…" She clutched his shirt instinctively, whispering his name before burying her face into his chest. She then pulled back -as far as Sasuke would let her, at least- to look him in the eye.

"Don't worry about me… I'm alright." She told him sincerely. Sasuke gave her one of those rare, genuine smiles of his that made her heart melt. She looked down, avoiding his gaze. Her eyes ran over his torso when she gasped.

"Sasuke!" She cried. "Look at your side!"

Sasuke glanced down at his bloodstained shirt. It was then that he realized that the blood was not that of Muso's, but his own. The Uchiha lifted his shirt, revealing three nasty gashes on his side. Sakura cringed as she crouched down to observe the cuts, running her fingers lightly over them. Sasuke winced at her touch, but eventually relaxed. He looked down curiously as Sakura continued to caress his wounds, his eyes widening when he realized that they were healing themselves at an amazing speed.

"Sakura… do you see that?" He asked, taking her hand and moving it away. Sakura froze. The three gashes were now no more than small cuts.

"Wow…" She murmured as she stroked the wounds one more time. "Did I do that?" Sasuke nodded.

"Looks like you have more power than I thought…" He murmured, admiring the work of her newfound healing skills. "If he managed to steal these powers from you… he'd be invincible…!" Sakura's eyes widened.

"He's already that powerful?" She asked. Sasuke nodded, pulling his shirt back down.

"Sakura…" Sasuke started. "If you see anything suspicious… promise you'll tell me." Sasuke turned her to look directly into his eyes. "He'll come for you not only for power, but to hurt me, too. He won't show you any mercy… I can tell you that." Sakura nodded, agreeing to the Uchiha's terms. A gentle breeze blew by, causing her small frame to shiver.

"You should get some rest." He said softly. Sakura nodded. Sasuke was right. She needed to sleep. Today had been a huge day… and if Sasuke weren't there… it most likely would've been her last.

Turning back to Sasuke, she saw him start to leave. She called out his name, causing the Uchiha to stop in his tracks.

"Sasuke… thank you." She said with a smile. Sasuke paused, wondering what she meant. Realization dawned on him and he nodded before vanishing. Sakura smiled after him, eventually turning to go inside. She pulled off her kimono and crawled under her blankets, falling into a deep sleep.

_

* * *

Sakura sat up, searching around for the dark chakara that she had sensed. A voice whispered in her ear, sending shivers up her spine. The kunoichi turned around slowly, eyes wide in fear._

_"S-Sasuke?" She asked in not but a whisper. To her horror, she was pushed back down by an unseen force. She looked up to see horrible, piercing red eyes gazing down at her. His greasy, black hair hung down, brushing against her face._

_"Muso…!" She gasped. She tried her best to struggle away from him, but his grip on her tightened._

_Smirking evilly, Muso bent down and kissed her forcefully, smothering Sakura's horrified screams. He pulled back and licked her lips with his almost snake-like tongue before kissing her again. His hand reached down for her sash, laughing in an almost maniac tone as he jerked it loose. Sakura let out a shriek as it came undone._

_"Delicious…"_

* * *

"Sakura!"

Sasuke sat up, panting heavily. Ever since he had left Sakura, his side had been driving him insane. Glancing down at the place where Muso had inflicted the injury, he swore under his breath.

The wound had reopened.

Sasuke knew it for sure. Muso was definitely still alive. A normal wound would never reopen after being healed that well.

The Uchiha gingerly touched the gashes, wincing once again as his fingers touched the flesh. This was unlike any wound he had ever gotten. This one was more painful than any of the serious wounds he obtained. Its pain even rivaled that of Orochimaru's curse!

Sasuke buckled over, blood seeping through his fingers. He swore once again, biting his lower lip to distract himself from the pain. Unfortunately, his actions were futile. The pain spread through his body, making him convulse. He let out a cry of pain, collapsing on the floor completely.

"Uchiha! You're bleeding all over my carpet!"

Sasuke cursed again. Damn that Yubaba… from the tone of her voice, he could tell she was more concerned about the flooring than anything else.

"Stupid child! Why couldn't you die somewhere else?" She snapped, glaring holes into him. Sasuke simply glared back even more ferociously than Yubaba did. The old witch sighed.

"Well, I should at least help you…" She muttered as she lifted her hand. "Let me put you out of your misery."

Eyes widening, Sasuke stood up and bolted out of the room as dozens of flat paper shikigami birds attacked him. Focusing the chakara on his feet, he leapt over the side of the balcony and ran along the wall.

He needed to get away from the paper… he needed to get to Sakura.

Glancing down, Sasuke ruled out the idea of escaping underwater. It was too high, even for him. Instead, he continued running, doing his best to avoid the papers.

Once he thought he had a good distance away from the paper, he turned around and skidded to a halt on the side of the building. Forming the symbols with his hands, he raised one to his mouth and inhaled.

_"Art of the phoenix flower! The touch-me-not!"_ Sasuke exhaled, shooting fire at the pieces of paper. He watched with a smirk as the shikigami burned to a crisp. Sasuke panted heavily, trying his best to hold onto the wall. He had just used up the remaining free chakara.

"Damn…" He breathed. Glancing up, he cursed again as another wave of paper flew towards him. Sasuke turned again and continued running. It was all he could do for now.

Glancing around, Sasuke noticed a metal pipe that stuck out of the building. Knowing he didn't have much chakara left, he took his chances and landed on it. The shinobi ran across quickly avoiding the attacking shikigami as their edges cut at his arms, legs and face. Sasuke ignored the pain and continued to run. Glancing up, he noticed a pink-haired girl standing on the balcony, completely oblivious to the danger heading her way.

"Shit…"

* * *

Sakura sat on the balcony, unable to sleep. The sun had just started to rise, making beautiful colours in the clouds. Sakura smiled at the tranquility of the view.

"Sakura! Watch out!"

The pink-haired Shinobi turned to see a swarm of shikigami flying towards her. She let out a shriek and ducked just in time. Sasuke skidded to a halt in front of her.

"You okay?" He asked quickly. Sakura nodded. The two turned at the sound of fluttering paper and cursed when they saw the shikigami swerve around and fly back towards them "Come on!"

Lifting Sakura up, Sasuke ran inside the building and slid the door shut. They watched as the paper collided with the door, rattling it furiously. The two shinobi waited anxiously as the paper birds started to drift away, one by one, from the window. Once the swarm had left, the two stood up.

"Sasuke…?" Sakura glanced at his cuts. "Sasuke, you're-"

"It's nothing." He said, cutting her off. Sakura looked away, a hint of sadness in her eyes. Sasuke glanced back at her and let out a small sigh.

"Sorry…" He muttered as he placed a hand on his injured side. "I'm the one that keeps making you cry…" Sakura turned back to him in surprise.

"No… don't say that." She whispered. She reached up to touch his shoulder when he slapped it away. The raven-haired boy stumbled back, coughing up blood. He leaned back on a wall for support and slumped to the ground, breathing heavily. Sakura stared wide-eyed at him, not knowing what to do.

"Sasuke…" Sakura bent down, gently caressing his cheek. Sasuke didn't move away this time. Instead, he leaned into her touch, closing his eyes. "Sasuke… please don't die…" The Uchiha opened his eyes, a weak smile planted on his face.

"Don't worry… I won't."

TBC…

Aw… poor Sasuke… Is he gonna die? Who knows? ME that's who! Muahahahaha!

Update!


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